Foreign Language Academy

Kindergarten through second-grade students in the Korean dual-language immersion program at Keppel Elementary School performed traditional Korean children’s stories Wednesday. Kindergartners sang about tadpoles, and first-graders starred in a play about two stepsisters, Kongjwee and Patjwee. Second-graders performed a Korean mask dance. Because students are learning a new alphabet, instruction is half in Korean and half in English. The Korean program is one of six languages in the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale.

No one can argue that Glendale Unified's dual-language academy isn't a solid success story. From meager beginnings, the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale has swelled to claim nine campuses and roughly 1,400 students who are taught in English and six optional second languages, with the goal of reaching fluency by the time they graduate. The program, fed in large part by enthusiastic parents, has also been a boon for Glendale Unified, attracting out-of-district students at a time when enrollment - a key factor in state funding formulas - had been slipping.

GLENDALE — About 90 parents are organizing a French addition to Glendale Unified's dual language immersion program. French would join Armenian, Spanish, German, Italian, Korean and Japanese in the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, an instructional track where teaching is delivered in varying percentages of English and foreign language. District officials said parent involvement has always been the key ingredient behind the program's expansion. It's what led to the creation of the Japanese program, which began this year at Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School.

GLENDALE — Twenty-five kindergartners at Franklin Elementary School already receive 90% of their instruction in German, and administrators are hoping to put more students into bilingual environments by adding programs for Italian and Spanish. More than 100 parents attended a presentation about bilingual education Thursday, where administrators hoped to stimulate interest for the likely expanded language offerings next year. Although the school plans to add the new languages next year, with the help of supplemental funding from community groups and foreign governments, Franklin received a grant Thursday from Italian group Fondazione Italia to jump-start interest in an after-school Italian program to begin in January, teacher specialist Ana Jones said.

There is a very promising program that is just getting off the ground in our schools. It’s called the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, and it is based on a very educationally sound objective. Children who learn more than one language are better students, get better jobs and are generally better equipped to function in a world where knowledge of multiple languages is at a premium. We’d like to eventually have all of our children in all of our schools be bilingual.

GLENDALE — Glendale Unified School District officials are preparing to reevaluate middle school foreign language availability as a popular program expands into Toll Middle School next year. It is unclear what changes, if any, will be made, but officials will compare traditional middle school foreign language classes with immersion courses in the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, known as FLAG. “We’re trying to figure out what the FLAG program looks like at the middle school level,” Supt.

GLENDALE — The bilingual achievement seal printed on Glendale Unified School District diplomas for more than 10 years has been adopted by state education officials. The seal is now available for students from Redding to Chula Vista who meet one of five criteria that displays a mastery of a foreign language. “Before, when it was just our district, it didn’t have the same cachet as it does now that more people across the state are doing it as well,” said Joanna Junge, the director of special projects and intercultural education for Glendale Unified.

GLENDALE — Each year, the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale continues to expand its global reach. Glendale Unified's dual-language immersion program will reach middle schools next year. It will reach new destinations at new elementary schools, and it has transformed Franklin Elementary School. English-only instruction will be phased out at the west Glendale school during the next few years, officials said. "Every year it grows another grade level at each of the sites," said Joanna Junge, the district's director of special projects, intercultural education and professional development.

I feel compelled to tell people about my fantastic experience at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Glendale. My daughter started kindergarten this year, in the Italian Immersion program offered at Benjamin Franklin, and we could not be more thrilled with her progress and the amazing experience we have had with the teachers, administrators, parents and staff. She is excelling academically and socially and loves going to school. For any of you who do not know about the FLAG programs (Foreign Language Academy of Glendale)

GLENDALE — Scores of parents are recruiting more families to support adding Japanese to the Glendale Unified School District’s popular slate of elementary school dual-language programs. Organizers said they want to replicate the success of other dual-language programs offered in Italian, German, Armenian, Spanish and Korean. The Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, or FLAG, has been widely lauded for boosting campus enrollment and academic achievement. In September, the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education accepted two grants totaling $2.4 million for expanding the Spanish and Korean programs.

No one can argue that Glendale Unified's dual-language academy isn't a solid success story. From meager beginnings, the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale has swelled to claim nine campuses and roughly 1,400 students who are taught in English and six optional second languages, with the goal of reaching fluency by the time they graduate. The program, fed in large part by enthusiastic parents, has also been a boon for Glendale Unified, attracting out-of-district students at a time when enrollment - a key factor in state funding formulas - had been slipping.

Kayoko Fujii's classroom was buzzing with activity last week. In one corner students were using large calligraphy brushes to paint kangi characters, while in another they were calling out answers to a numbers game in Japanese. The first-grade teacher moved to the front of the room where a small Japanese flag was clipped to the white board. She turned it over to reveal an American flag, and within a few seconds the chatter shifted to English. Five months after launching the dual language Japanese language program at Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School, teachers said they are pleased with its direction and students' progress.

GLENDALE — About 90 parents are organizing a French addition to Glendale Unified's dual language immersion program. French would join Armenian, Spanish, German, Italian, Korean and Japanese in the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, an instructional track where teaching is delivered in varying percentages of English and foreign language. District officials said parent involvement has always been the key ingredient behind the program's expansion. It's what led to the creation of the Japanese program, which began this year at Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School.

GLENDALE — Each year, the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale continues to expand its global reach. Glendale Unified's dual-language immersion program will reach middle schools next year. It will reach new destinations at new elementary schools, and it has transformed Franklin Elementary School. English-only instruction will be phased out at the west Glendale school during the next few years, officials said. "Every year it grows another grade level at each of the sites," said Joanna Junge, the district's director of special projects, intercultural education and professional development.

Kindergarten through second-grade students in the Korean dual-language immersion program at Keppel Elementary School performed traditional Korean children’s stories Wednesday. Kindergartners sang about tadpoles, and first-graders starred in a play about two stepsisters, Kongjwee and Patjwee. Second-graders performed a Korean mask dance. Because students are learning a new alphabet, instruction is half in Korean and half in English. The Korean program is one of six languages in the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale.

I feel compelled to tell people about my fantastic experience at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Glendale. My daughter started kindergarten this year, in the Italian Immersion program offered at Benjamin Franklin, and we could not be more thrilled with her progress and the amazing experience we have had with the teachers, administrators, parents and staff. She is excelling academically and socially and loves going to school. For any of you who do not know about the FLAG programs (Foreign Language Academy of Glendale)

GLENDALE — Glendale Unified School District officials are preparing to reevaluate middle school foreign language availability as a popular program expands into Toll Middle School next year. It is unclear what changes, if any, will be made, but officials will compare traditional middle school foreign language classes with immersion courses in the Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, known as FLAG. “We’re trying to figure out what the FLAG program looks like at the middle school level,” Supt.

GLENDALE — The bilingual achievement seal printed on Glendale Unified School District diplomas for more than 10 years has been adopted by state education officials. The seal is now available for students from Redding to Chula Vista who meet one of five criteria that displays a mastery of a foreign language. “Before, when it was just our district, it didn’t have the same cachet as it does now that more people across the state are doing it as well,” said Joanna Junge, the director of special projects and intercultural education for Glendale Unified.

GLENDALE — Scores of parents are recruiting more families to support adding Japanese to the Glendale Unified School District’s popular slate of elementary school dual-language programs. Organizers said they want to replicate the success of other dual-language programs offered in Italian, German, Armenian, Spanish and Korean. The Foreign Language Academy of Glendale, or FLAG, has been widely lauded for boosting campus enrollment and academic achievement. In September, the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education accepted two grants totaling $2.4 million for expanding the Spanish and Korean programs.

EDUCATION Amid forecasts of a wet winter and federal health advisories warning of a worse rash of the H1N1 influenza virus, the Glendale Unified School District has already purchased $12,000 worth of hand sanitizer in an effort to stop the spread of illness, administrators said. And federal health agencies issued warnings earlier this month that children aged 5 to 18 were at a higher risk of death from contracting swine flu, prompting school districts to step up their sterilization efforts.